Breakdown of Ben fotoğraflarda arkadaşlarımı etiketliyorum.
ben
I
benim
my
arkadaş
the friend
fotoğraf
the photo
-larda
in
etiketlemek
to tag
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Questions & Answers about Ben fotoğraflarda arkadaşlarımı etiketliyorum.
Why is ben included at the beginning? Isn’t Turkish a pro-drop language that usually omits the pronoun?
Turkish is indeed pro-drop: the 1st person is clear from the verb ending -um in etiketliyorum. However, you can include ben for emphasis or clarity (e.g. “I, specifically, am tagging…”), or when you want to contrast the subject with someone else.
What does fotoğraflarda mean, and how is it formed?
It comes from fotoğraf (photo) + plural suffix -lar + locative suffix -da. So fotoğraf-lar-da literally means “in/on the photos.” The locative -da answers “where?” Vowel harmony applies (no change to -lar because fotoğraf ends in a consonant).
Why does arkadaşlarımı have three suffixes (-lar, -ım, -ı), and what do they indicate?
Breakdown:
• arkadaş = friend
• -lar = plural (“friends”)
• -ım = 1st person singular possessive (“my friends”)
• -ı = accusative case (“the friends” as a definite object)
Order: root + plural + possessive + accusative → arkadaş-lar-ım-ı.
When do you use the accusative case (the -ı/-i/-u/-ü suffix) in Turkish?
Use the accusative on a direct object that is definite or specific. Here, arkadaşlarımı (“my friends”) is specific, so it takes -ı. If you meant friends in general, you’d say arkadaşlar with no suffix.
How is the present continuous tense formed in etiketliyorum?
- Root: etiketle- (to tag)
- Present continuous: -iyor- (“am/is/are …ing”)
- 1st person ending: -um
Combine: etiketle-yor-um → etiketliyorum (the e in etiketle assimilates for harmony).
Is etiketlemek native Turkish? Where does it come from?
It’s a loan from English tag + Turkish verb-forming -lamak → taglamak, then adapted by vowel harmony to etiketlemek. Many tech terms enter Turkish this way and get regular suffixes.
Why is the verb etiketliyorum at the end of the sentence?
Turkish follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order. Adverbials (like fotoğraflarda) or indirect objects often come before the direct object. So:
Subject (Ben), adverbial (fotoğraflarda), object (arkadaşlarımı), verb (etiketliyorum).
How would you say “I tagged my friends in the photos” in the past tense?
Use the simple past suffix -di + 1st person ending -m:
Ben fotoğraflarda arkadaşlarımı etiketledim.
(etiketle-di-m)